CHAPTER SEVEN

Spiked

***

Meg: I'm tired…it's nearly 4:00AM…

Emma: Then go to BED!!

Meg: I don't wanna – I wanna keep writing! As long as people keep reviewing, then I shall keep on writing!

Zikya: That's the spirit!

***

The ball turned out to interesting – but scary, also. It was a night I would remember for a very long time.

Bianca and I got ready together. I had told Nenona that my car was at a friend's house, and that Bianca would leave after awhile and go and get my car.

That was…sort of half true.

Bianca and I stood side-by-side in the full-length mirror in Nenona and Jerome's room, and admired each other.

"We look sensational," Bianca said, as she twirled around to make her skirt swish. "Don't you agree?"

I nodded. "I wonder how everyone else looks…" I thought about who was going.

Bianca and Optimus, Elita1, Arcee, Sunny and 'Sides (apparently they hadn't really decided who was going with who), Zikya and 'Jack, and me and Bee.

I was so excited! The year twelve ball was the highlight of the year, since our river cruise had been cancelled by Mr. Frecklenose. I was looking forward to it for a number of reason, but mainly because I would be going with friends.

They were the biggest part of my life now.

*

Bianca left, and then I followed (after having a zillion pictures taken by Nenona and Jerome). Bianca pulled up outside of the house, and I got in.

"To the ball!" I ordered her, and she would have rolled her optics if she could. Suddenly, she stopped. She opened her door.

Leveret jumped in to the car.

"Leveret!" I exclaimed. "You can't come with me – the ball is for people…and bots…not cats!"

Leveret meowed plaintively.

I sighed, and caved in. "Oh, alright then!" Leveret was the most obedient cat I knew. He was like Artimus from Sailor Moon, minus the crescent moon and the magical powers. "But you have to behave – which means no scratching people!"

Leveret nodded.

*

All my worries went away when we reached the building where the dance would take place. We had picked up Zikya, and then stopped a little ways down the street and decided to walk in. Leveret was smart, he kept out of sight and walked under my skirt the whole way…oh, wait, maybe he was just being lecherous…yikes.

Anyway, the building was beautiful, and all done up in flowers and fairy lights.

"Over here!" I heard a familiar voice call, and turned to see 'Sides waving at us.

Bee turned around when he heard me and Zikya call back: "Hi guys!"

*

Bumblebee's P.O.V:

My spark nearly stopped beating when I saw what Em was wearing.

She had on a beautiful black gown that was low-cut and without sleeves. Black gloves came up to her elbows, and she was wearing silver high-heel shoes and her silver necklace that I found in her wardrobe for her. I could tell that Bianca had done her makeup for her, and she was wearing two pairs of silver heart-shaped earrings.

She didn't run over to me like he usually did, though, and instead walked over to me carefully.

"It's the shoes," She said, loudly enough for people standing around us to hear. Then, she whispered to me: "It's not really the shoes…I brought Leveret with me…"

"You what!?" I gasped.

"He wanted to come." Em shrugged, and then lifted up the bottom of her skirt to reveal the bright green eyes of that ginger cat.

I glared down at Leveret. He seemed to smirk up at me as he stood where he did. He was lucky, and he knew it.

*

I watched as Bianca and Zikya were greeted by their dates.

Optimus looked nervous, but incredibly handsome in a black suit with a blue tie. His blue eyes glittered when Bia approached him, and I couldn't keep the smile off of my face.

Zikya bounded up to 'Jack with her endless energy, and said: "Hiya!"

'Jack, who was looking very hot in his suit and tie, smiled at her, and put his arm across her shoulders.

The twins, standing there in their suits (no ties for them), smiled vaguely. Arcee and Elita1 looked kind of bored.

Then Bee, in his black suit with the yellow trim (I may be a little biased here, but I thought he looked extremely sweet), presented me with a carnation. It was yellow, and fit around my gloved wrist perfectly.

"He looked that up on the internet," 'Sides whispered to me.

"I know." I whispered back. And, you know what? I didn't care.

*

The bots turned out to be such good dancers that, for the longest time, nobody else dared to dance, because we were the only things worth looking at.

Leveret at high up on a windowsill, silhouetted by the night.

At first, Bee and I danced nearly every single song together, including Disturbia, Love Game (and you thought I had issues with that song before!), Stop and Ryuusei (I don't know how or why they played that song…).

Then, others began cutting in and, like magic, Bee and I were separated.

But, we always found our way back to each other.

Meanwhile, I noticed Zikya and 'Jack having a good time, he was teaching her how to dance some more intricate steps, and she was having fun picking them up.

Bia and Optimus just looked like they were made for each other.

The twins, Arcee and Elita1 were…well, I hoped that they were having fun. Arcee danced with a lot of other boys.

"Excuse me everybody," The MC said. He'd stopped the music, and was holding up an envelope. "We're ready to announce our dance king and queen, our dance duke and duchess, and our beau and belle of the ball!"

There were excited murmurs, and everyone looked around expectantly. I noticed a number of wait-staff were also hanging around.

"Our dance king and queen for this year are…" The MC opened up the envelope. "Jack and Zikya!"

"That's us!" Zikya fairly yelled, and grabbed Wheeljack's hand. The rest of us applauded and whistled as they went up onstage to receive their sashes. Zikya was positively glowing, and I noticed Wheeljack smile fondly at her.

"Now, our dance duke and duchess…" The MC went on. "Are Optimus and Bianca!"

I yelled so loudly my throat hurt, as everyone else cheered and clapped, and Bianca and Optimus went up to receive their sashes. Bianca looked happier then I had ever seen her before.

By now, everyone was awaiting the most important part of the evening – the Beau and Belle of The Ball. It's, like, every girls dream to be crowned (err, sashed) the Belle of the Ball.

"The beau of the ball…" The MC paused for dramatic effect. "Is BB!"

I gasped. What did that mean?

"Which means that our belle of the ball is Emma!"

Oh, of course that's what it means.

Somehow, I managed to make my way up onstage, meeting Bee halfway there. I was in some kind of a trance.

Luckily for me, Bee was not in a trance, and guided me onstage to where we received our sashes.

Then, they put on the first slow song of the evening – the love theme from Beauty And The Beast.

Somehow, somewhere, Bee had learned to waltz, and he slowly guided me through the steps. Halfway through the song, just on the good bit (ever as before, ever just as sure, as the sun will rise…) I came alive. Bee sensed this immediately, and picked me up, swinging me around. My skirt swished around just like in the movies, and when I landed I laced my arms around Bee's neck.

"I can't believe we're belle and beau of the ball…" I told him.

"Well, I can," He said, looking right at me. "Believe that you're bell of the ball, that is…"

Somewhere, I heard three thousand other girls groaning.

But, once again, I didn't care.

*

After that, I had to go to the bathroom to fix up my stockings, which were falling down (that's how much dancing I'd been doing). Leveret accompanied me, and sat on one of the sinks whilst I was in the stall.

Just as I was about to come out, I heard the bathroom door open, and a group of girls came in.

"Is that a cat?" One of them said.

"Never mind that," Another said crossly. "Did you see that Emma girl, looking all superior that she got belle of the ball?"

"I know," Another said. "She only got it because of her date – he's, like, one of the hottest guys in school!"

"I know," Another girl giggled. "He could make even her look attractive!"

"I swear, Emma gets everything – hot guys following her around, as in her date and those twins, and that other guy, Optimus. She's always getting injured so, when she comes to school all wrapped up in bandages, everyone gives her attention. She's just an attention-seeking bitch!" The first girl said angrily.

"I'll say!" The third girl agreed. "Hey, guys, how cute is this cat in here?"

"Yeah, I wonder whose it is?" The second girl asked.

I'd had enough of this. Holding my head up high, I stormed out of the cubicle, and other to the sinks where I washed my hands before stalking past the stunned girls towards the door. Before I left, I turned and said: "Come on, Leveret!"

Leveret jumped off of the sink and followed me out into the hall.

*

I sent Leveret off to find the others, and then sat down in a chair. There was hardly anyone in the hall – everyone was in the ballroom dancing.

"Drink, miss?" A waiter offered me a glass.

I didn't even look at him as I took it. "Thanks, mister." I said, downing the mocktail in one quick gulp.

I put the glass down on the table, and then glanced down at my hands. They were shaking. What was wrong?

My head suddenly felt very dizzy.

"I need some fresh air…" I decided, and got up, walking towards the stairs, unaware that the man who had given me the drink was now following me.

I opened up the door to the stairwell, and the pounding in my head got even heavier. Something was wrong – very wrong.

I've read enough Dolly magazines to know, but of course it was too late by the time I figured it out.

"My drink…you spiked it…" I whispered, as I collapsed backwards, and into the arms of my red-eyed assailant.

***

Meg: I am so sleep-deprived…need rest…going…as soon as I've finished this…and watched my new AMV. I love my AMV's.

Bianca: What's your favourite one?

Meg: I have three favourites – all Marchen Awakens Romance ones. There's Mar's New Divide, featuring New Divide as the main song and some of Behind These Hazel Eyes as the credits. Then there's Mar's Twilight Symphony, featuring Leave Out All The Rest as the main song and some of Super Massive Black Hole as the credits. And then, the one I just did, which is called Refugee Tribal Mar, and features Refugee by Tribal Ink as the main song and some of Doomsday Clock as the credits.

Bianca: Wow.

Meg: I also love Sakura Who Knew? featuring Who Knew? by Pink, which is about Sakura and Sauke (if someone said three years from now, you'd be long gone…).

Bianca: Umm…okay then…

Leveret: Meow!